Water-wheel.



No. 893.790. PATBNTED JULY 21, 1908.

R. A. FONTAINE. WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1907.

(lttozmuga ROBERT A. FONTAINE, OF FONTAINE, VIRGINIA- WATERWHEELJ Application filed November 26', 1907. Serial No. 403,887.

T o dll whom it may concern; Be it known that I, ROBERT A. FONTAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fontaine', inlthe county of Henry and State -'of- Yirginia,. l1ave invented a new and useful Water Wh'eel, of which. the-following is a specification. v

v This'invention relates to water wheels of that {type designed to be completely submerged and the object of the invention is to provide a wheel of this character having wings or blades which are mounted in a novel manner and designed to be positively held along planes radiating from the center of the wheelwhile moving in the direction of the current and to automatically shift out of operative position while moving against the current'so as to afford no resistance to the current at one side of the wheel.

Another object is to provide a Wheel frame of novel form, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to ositively hold the wings or blades, so that t are is no danger of the same becoming broken or forced out of op- .erative positionby the current moving there aga nst.

With-these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations ofparts which will 'be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

drawings is shown :In the accompanyin the preferred form of the invention.

j In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view ofa wheel embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line ac-a, Fig.

'1 and showing the gears connected thereto for transmitting ower therefrom.

- Referring to t e figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a shaft having hub sections in the form of superposed disks 2 fastened thereto in any suitable manner as by means of set screws 3 extending through sleeves 4 which surround the shaft and extend from the adjoining faces ofthe disks.

- R'adiatingfrom the-two disks are arms 5 the upper arms being inclined upwardly toward their outer ends while the lower arms are inclined. downwardly toward their outer" ends and disposed directlybelow the 11 P Brae ets 6 extend upwardly f v the outer ends of the upper arms and similar brackets 7 extend downwardly from the outer ends of the lower arms. These lower brackets. 7 have eyes 8 through which extends a ring 9 constituting means for holding Specification of Letters Patent.

11 are preferably Patented July 21, 1908.

the lower arms spaced apart at the proper intervals. Brackets 6 also have eyes 8 engaging a ring 10 similar to the ring 9 and for the same purpose;

- As heretofore stated theupper arms 5 are located directly above the lower arms, thus forming "pairs, the outer ends ofthe arms of each pair being connected by a rod -11. Said arms are also connected "at an intermediate point by another rod 12. Pivotally mount-i ed upon each outer rod 11 are hinge straps-13 located close to the upper and lower arms respectively and secured in any preferred manner to one face of a wingor blade 14 which is substantially rectangular in outline and is designed to'bear against the arms 5. Those corners of the blade adjoining the rod cut away as indicated at 15 so as to. permit the blade toswing freely upon the rod and to assume a'pos ition at an angle thereto, in which event that portion of the blade extending past the rod will assume a position between the arms 5 as clearly indicated in the lower portion of Fig. 1. That edge of the blade or wing farthest removed from the rod 11 is preferably beveled as indicated at 16 and is designed to la-p the similarly beveled edge 17 of the adjoining inner blade or wing 18. This blade or wing has hinge straps 19 extending across one face thereof and pivotally mounted on one of the inner rods l2.- In order that the inner blades may be free to swing between-the arms 5 as is necessary at certain oints during the rotation of the wheel, s ots or grooves 20 are preferably formed within the wings 18 as indicated in Fig. 2. The two wings 14 and 18 are preferably of the same height and are designed when bearing against the'arms 5 to completely close the space therebetween.

In order that power may be transmitted from the wheel to any machinery. which it may be desired to operate, a large master gear 21 is preferably secured to the'upper portion ofshaft 1 and meshes with a small gear 22 secured to a shaft 23 which may be mounted in any preferred manner.

The wheel as heretofore stated is designed.

to f be completely submerged and the up stream side thereof may, if preferred, be suitably housed orextended into the bank of the stream. This, however, is not necessary as the wheel-Will work equally as well whether or not the open portion thereof is housed.

If the current is flowing in the direction indicated by arrows a in Fig. 1 the blades or wings '14 and 18 upon passing that portion of the current moving against the axis of the faces of theblades and causethem to swing in arcs as indicated b dotted lines so as to bring the blades ara cl with the direction ofthe current. hese blades can-therefore -move against the current without offering any material resistancethereto' and as they gradually return to their initial, positions they swing toward each other until they can assume positions a ainst the arms 5 so as to be operated upon y the current and cause the wheel to rotate. Importance'is attached to the fact that the arms 5 not only serve to connect each pair of blades with the shaft but they also constitute braces or backings' against which-the blades swing, the arms therefore reinforcing the blades transversely and absolutely-preventing them from splitting, bending, or'becoming otherwise'injured as a result of the force of the current thereupon. The rings 9"and 10 constitute efficient spacing means for the outer ends of the arms and the blades connected to them and by locating them aboveand below the blades they in no sense interfere with the operation of the blades.

' What is claimedis:

1. A water wheel comprising upper and lower radiating arms, said arms eing arranged in pairs, the upper and lower arms of each pair diverging outwardly, combined connecting and spacing rings connected to the outer ends of the upper and lower arms respectively, and a l pivotally connected to the of pair and dis osed to bear thereagainst and to be backed t ereby during a portion of the rotation of the wheel.

2; A Water wheel comprising a hub, upper and lower 'arms radiating therefrom and arranged in pairs the upper and lower arms of each pair diverging outwardly, brackets extending upwardly and downwardly from the respective arms of each pair, connecting rings carried by the brackets, and a blade pivotally mounted between the arms of each pair and disposed to bear against and to be acked by said arms during a portion of the rotation of the wheel.

3. A Water wheel comprising a hub, upper and lower arms radiating therefrom and arranged in pairs, the upper and lower arms of each air diverging outwardly, outer and inner b ades of uniform height pivotally connected to the arms of each pair, said blades being disposed to bear against and to bebacked by the arms during a portion of the rotation of the wheel, the adjoining edges of the blades being beveled and disposed to la upwardly and downwardly extending brac ets upon the outer ends of the res ective arms of each air, and connecting and racing rings carried y the brackets.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT A. FONTAINE.

' Witnessesr T. G. Boson,

W. O. MINTER, Jr. 

